Direct medical charges in a population-based systemic lupus erythematosus cohort.

Aim: This study aimed to obtain estimates for the direct medical charges associated with hospitalizations and emergency department visits of validated SLE cases in a diverse Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) population.

Methods: The Georgians Organized Against Lupus (GOAL) cohort is a population-based cohort of adult SLE patients from metropolitan Atlanta, GA USA, an area having a diverse SLE population. The GOAL cohort aims to study the impact of social determinants of health (SDoH) on outcomes relevant to patients, healthcare providers, and policymakers.

Subtyping Social Determinants of Health in : Network Analysis and Visualization Approach.

Background: Social determinants of health (SDoH), such as financial resources and housing stability, account for between 30-55% of people's health outcomes. While many studies have identified strong associations among specific SDoH and health outcomes, most people experience multiple SDoH that impact their daily lives. Analysis of this complexity requires the integration of personal, clinical, social, and environmental information from a large cohort of individuals that have been traditionally underrepresented in research, which is only recently being made available through the research program.

Lead phosphate deposition in porous media and implications for lead remediation.

Phosphate addition is commonly applied as an effective method to remediate lead contaminated sites via formation of low solubility lead phosphate solids. However, subsequent transport of the lead phosphate particles may impact the effectiveness of this remediation strategy. Hence, this study investigates the mechanisms involved in the aggregation of lead phosphate particles and their deposition in sand columns as a function of typical water chemistry parameters.

Development and implementation of a collaborative, multistakeholder research and practice model on HIV prevention targeting Asian/Pacific Islander men in the United States who have sex with men.

We describe lessons learned from a national HIV prevention research program grounded in community-based participatory research, the Men of Asia Testing for HIV (MATH) Study, which targeted self-identified Asian/Pacific Islander men in the United States who have sex with men. We discuss the genesis of and impetus for the study and then describe its various facets, including accomplishments, challenges, and unanticipated consequences. We conclude with a discussion about the real-world practice of community-based participatory research with respect to the MATH Study in particular and similar research in general.

Making sure research is used: community-generated recommendations for disseminating research.

Academic research, no matter how innovative, will never make a difference in the lives of people unless it is disseminated in an appropriate and timely manner to providers and organizations serving the public. Yet many researchers are not trained, rewarded, or supported to disseminate research findings. The Community Advisory Board (CAB) of the University of California, San Francisco, Center for AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS) developed a set guidelines to support researchers' intentions to disseminate their findings through nontraditional venues.

HIV risk and prevention among Asian/Pacific Islander men who have sex with men: listen to our stories.

Despite increasing need for HIV prevention research and intervention programs, the voices and stories of Asian and Pacific Islander men who have sex with men (API MSM) have remained absent from HIV prevention literature. Five focus groups with API MSM (N = 38) were conducted to identify psychological, social, and cultural factors related to HIV risk and protection. Six themes were identified based on focus group discussion: (a) dual-identity status, (b) coming out and disclosure issues, (c) relationships and dating, (d) substance use, (e) sexual risk reduction strategies, and (f) health and social services.